news The Pequot Lakes School Board on Monday, Oct. 21, repealed two policies that it decided were better suited as district guidelines. The two policies repealed were titled “Staff notification of violent behavior by students” and “School/community relations and communications.” Superintendent Chris...
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2013-10-22 15:19:42

The Pequot Lakes School Board on Monday, Oct. 21, repealed two policies that it decided were better suited as district guidelines.

The two policies repealed were titled “Staff notification of violent behavior by students” and “School/community relations and communications.”

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Superintendent Chris Lindholm explained that the policy regarding notification of violent behavior by students was unclear as to how the district was to determine what makes a student violent, what the “trigger point” for communication was and what form that communication had to take.

Lindholm said that any time students get into a pushing or shoving match, the policy would have staff notify people in writing. He said the policy could hurt students by potentially misrepresenting them.

Lindholm said it’s the district’s expectation that if there’s a problem with a student, staff would sit down with the necessary parties and speak with them.

As for the policy on school/community relations, Lindholm said the district was expected to communicate well with the community, but a policy wasn’t necessary for that to happen.

“This gets into the line of too much policy,” Lindholm said.

Board chair Valarie Wallin said the committee felt it could recommend that good communication was an expectation, but didn’t need to dictate how that communication occurred.

The school isn’t mandated to have either of the policies, Lindholm said. The board agreed unanimously to repeal both policies.

In other business Monday, the board:

• Accepted its final audit, remarking that it showed improvement from last year.

• Raised the price on adult meal prices because of a federal mandate requiring the board to do so. Adult breakfast is now $2.40 and lunch is $3.35.

• Heard that 60 high school students attended We Day, joining 18,000 other young people to empower the generation and focus on the “we” rather than the “me.”

• Learned the district will publicize a request for proposals to create a new district website. The district hopes to accept bids in late November, seek input from stakeholders, build the site from February to June and have a mid-summer launch of the site.

• Heard Kid Konnection has 82 students and is at capacity. Early childhood classes have 128 children enrolled.

• Learned there will be a Veterans Day program at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in the main gym.